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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28010859">First First Impression</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous'>Ononymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Undertale Anniversary Requests 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Pre-Undertale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:40:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28010859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not every day the opportunity to start networking with movers and shakers just happens across your path. This once in a lifetime opportunity for a young ghost has to be seized,  their entire sort-of-life depends on it!</p>
<p>For their cousin, it was just Tuesday.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Undertale Anniversary Requests 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>First First Impression</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz-untz...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Knock knock!</em>
</p>
<p>"Oh. Coming..."</p>
<p>Quicksaving the work on his latest track, the pale translucent shroud glided from his computer to the front door and opened it. A similarly translucent shroud, though this one tinted pink, emerged from the wall next to the open door. For a ghost's house, the open door was more a sign of welcome than an instruction to actually use it, though most would be forced to. The new arrival then glided straight through their host in a ghostly handshake.</p>
<p>"Blooky, darling!" they unctuously echoed, blank eyes brimming with undefinable confidence.</p>
<p>"Um, hi Happy." He floated over to the door to close it again. "How's your house?"</p>
<p>Happy grew opaque with delight. "Fabulous, dear cousin. You'd almost think a solid lived there!"</p>
<p>"That sounds nice..." The two ghosts floated in the middle of the room for a while. "Um, can I help you with something?"</p>
<p>"Oh, not at all!" preened Happstablook. "Family is important, isn't it?"</p>
<p>Napstablook's tiny mouth twitched upwards. "I think that's a lovely thought, cousin..."</p>
<p>"Althooooough..." Happstablook's sheet folded around his mouth, looking vaguely like a hand placed thoughtfully under a chin. "I did happen to wonder if I could borrow your webcam."</p>
<p>"You did? Well, I guess you can..." He glided back to his computer, unplugged the peripheral and returned to his cousin, depositing it in the bag Happstablook had produced by then.</p>
<p>"Spectacular, Blooky. I ordered one for myself from New Home, and it's taking forever to arrive! Postman must be on strike. Or maybe Captain Undyne had a relapse, I don't know. I'll be able to practice my posturing nonetheless."</p>
<p>"...couldn't you practice in front of a mirror?"</p>
<p>"Yes darling, but then I wouldn't have any record of it so I can muse on how to strut properly. When I'm a big star I'll have to know how to improvise. Now, which do you think looks better: This...?" No visible change in his appearance was observed. "Or this...?" The change was dramatic in how non-existant it was.</p>
<p>Napstablook blinked. "Um... the second one?"</p>
<p>"I thought so! You've excellent taste, Blooky. When you're not holed up with your computer all day."</p>
<p>"Oh, thank you... Um, my lunchbreak is about to end though... Do you want to go to the farm with me...?"</p>
<p>"Eh..." Happy's density fluctuated indecisively. "Alright, dear."</p>
<p>The ghosts slid through the wall into Happy's house, where he deposited the webcam, then back out into the cavern where embedded crystals glowed with reflected bioluminescent light from distant bodies of water, following the well worn path past their houses. It didn't take long for the path to grow rougher from the much reduced corporeal foot traffic it had endured over the centuries.</p>
<p>"If I may ask, Blooky, what are you working on when you're on lunch?"</p>
<p>"Hmm? Oh... I was re-sampling my first track..."</p>
<p>Happy looked on blankly. "Re-sampling your first track? Sounds a little stale."</p>
<p>"Well, um... I was checking the undernet, and CoolSkeleton95 said he noticed that the anniversary of my first track was coming up... and he said a great artist should go back to their early work and see how improved they've gotten... So I decided to see how I would approach the song today..."</p>
<p>"Hmm, self reflection," mused Happy, "you've always been skilled at that. If a little overindulgent, darling. Well, how did you get on?"</p>
<p>"Oh, not too bad... I'm laying out the bridge to the drops so it's less garbage now."</p>
<p>"Oh ho, a perfectionist? Now that's something you haven't indulged in <em>enough</em>! Who knows, the right agent catches your music, you'll go almost as far as I will!"</p>
<p>"You think so...?" Napstablook started to sink towards the ground. "But... I just want people to like the music... If I had to change to stay popular..."</p>
<p>"A small price, cousin." His eyes closed in a haughty air. "You can't imagine what being absolutely adored by everyone would be like!"</p>
<p>"...you're right, I can't..."</p>
<p>The two ghosts drifted in silence for a few moments, nearing the farm. Soon, two voices reached them, the echoes provided by the cavern walls rather than their ethereal nature.</p>
<p>"...move it, move it, <strong>MOVE IT</strong>, ya freeloading slug!"</p>
<p>"Just do your best, don't hurt yourself..."</p>
<p>Happstablook stopped at that second voice, his eyes wide open. "Blooky?"</p>
<p>"Hmm...?"</p>
<p>"Do you know who that is?"</p>
<p>"Um... I think so..."</p>
<p>"It's him, isn't it?!"</p>
<p>"Yeah... our best customer..."</p>
<p>"Yes, but that's the-" He started to tremble. "...this could be it. My big moment!"</p>
<p>"...oh, do you want to sell him the snails?"</p>
<p>"No, but... I've got one chance, Blooky! Make the right impression and... It's now or never!"</p>
<p>"...okay, you can sell them if you want-"</p>
<p>"No no no, I'm not talking about the-!" He stopped completely, eyes closed. "...just relax just relax just relax... You know what, Blooky? I <em>will</em> sell him the snails!"</p>
<p>"...oh." Blooky's smile returned. "Thanks, cousin. It's nice to see you getting involved..."</p>
<p>"Yes yes yes, best shot I'll have. I need to rehearse... 'Here's your change, darling!'...'Here's YOUR change, darLING!'...'HERE'S your change, DARling!'..."</p>
<p>Happstablook continued muttering in this vein as the two cousins finally reached the farm. The track was clearly in use. The snail in the lane closest to the wall had made it about half way. The middle lane's snail had barely left the starting line. The snail in the lane closest to the path with the till had just reached the finish line, but with a cracked shell and looking dangerously overheated.</p>
<p>"HA! Yes, yes, <strong>YES!</strong>" roared a pale yellow ghost. "I win! In your face, fuzzybutt!"</p>
<p>"Oh well," sighed the large monster next to the ghost, carefully patting the snail at the start line. "As long as everybody had fun, eh?"</p>
<p>"Winning <em>IS</em> fun, ya corpie!"</p>
<p>"Hmm..." he stroked his golden beard in doubt. Then he looked over at the arrivals. "Oh, howdy! Is my usual packed up?"</p>
<p>"Um, yes sir... behind you..."</p>
<p>"Ah, lovely." He turned and picked up the pre-packed bag by the till, walking towards the proprietor. "Shall I pay you as usual? Or is it your job today instead?"</p>
<p>His patient smile bore straight down on Happstablook. For around two seconds, because then he suddenly faded out of sight. Nobody moved for quite a long time, save for the yellow ghost going to criticise the winning snail for how it could improve. Finally Napstablook felt too awkward to wait any longer, and the customer's smile followed him as he floated closer.</p>
<p>"...thirty gold, sir..."</p>
<p>"Ah, a bargain." He deposited a large golden coin onto the thin air in front of Blooky, where it floated. Blooky went over to the till and got out some smaller coins.</p>
<p>"...uh, your change, sir. Um... do you want the same next week?"</p>
<p>"Of course, dear fellow. These will be lovely tonight."</p>
<p>The monster passed Blooky, purple cloak training behind him, and into the gloom, where a flame suddenly cast his tall shadow back to the ghosts. As soon as he was truly out of sight, the pastel pink of Happy faded back into view, in front of Blooky. Something was missing from his featureless eyes. They looked a lot more like his cousin's.</p>
<p>"...he looked straight through me," he said. "Like I wasn't even there."</p>
<p>"...isn't that because you turned invisible...?"</p>
<p>"You think I choked? <em>Moi?!</em> Ridiculous! It's obvious he doesn't give us spirits the respect we deserve! You saw that smile, so condescending."</p>
<p>"...if you say so, but I don't think he meant-"</p>
<p>"Very well!" Happstablook's body bent backwards like he was dying dramatically. "If I'm to win the fame I deserve, I need to make changes!"</p>
<p>"Like what?" called his yellow cousin mockingly. "Wearing a scarf?"</p>
<p>"...actually, that's not a bad idea. But no, dear Maddy. I have to go even farther!"</p>
<p>"...a hat?" asked Napstablook.</p>
<p>"No. I must appear more human."</p>
<p>"Human?" exclaimed Maddy. "The ultimate meatbag?"</p>
<p>"There's no other recourse, dear cousin! Everyone down here is obsessed with humans. It's obvious why, but if I can tap into that, surely they'll pay attention to me! And humans don't choke either."</p>
<p>Napstablook cleared his undefined throat. "...I think they do. If they eat their food wrong, they can-"</p>
<p>"Not what I meant!"</p>
<p>"So what," said Maddy, "you gonna make a human doll and haunt it? That'll be a laugh riot."</p>
<p>"No no no, nothing that drastic." Yet, he didn't say. "I just... need to learn about humans first. Adjust my mannerisms, get inside their head. Then I'll know what it is that makes them so popular. Foolproof!"</p>
<p>"Whatever, you wannabe," said Maddy, though the tone carried some begrudging respect. "So you gonna haunt Snowdin Librarby to figure it out?"</p>
<p>"Maybe," said Happy, "they do have some human books there..."</p>
<p>"Um..." Ummed Napstablook.</p>
<p>"Yes?"</p>
<p>"I wasn't gonna mention it... but to be polite, I, um... saw a poster for a human club..."</p>
<p>"A human club? Like one of those big sticks they bash your skull in with-"</p>
<p>"Maybe. But, uh, I think maybe they mean a club in, like, people meeting up to talk about it... Maybe you can learn about humans there."</p>
<p>"Napstablook, that's..." A twinkle gleamed in Happy's eyes. "That's genius! Where did you see the poster?"</p>
<p>"Near the river... a lizard put it up..."</p>
<p>"A thousand thanks to you, darling! The path to my destiny is clear!"</p>
<p>Once again he floated through Napstablook as a sign of affection, then immediately turned right and dived into the wall.</p>
<p>"...I hope he makes friends," said Napstablook.</p>
<p>"I don't," grunted Maddy, "putting on airs like that. Why should he get to go gallivanting off like that and not me?"</p>
<p>"...um, I don't think you need permission. If you wanna learn about humans too, that's okay..." Blooky floated back to the till, and locked it. "...I'm not feeling up to selling snails, Maddy. You can go home early. See you tomorrow..."</p>
<p>Where Happy had gone right, Blooky went straight up, fading from view just before he passed through the roof. Maddington was left alone, to think thoughts not dared thought about before.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Original Suggestion: asgore meets mettaton for the first time? if you want</p>
<p>Pastebin version: https://pastebin.com/ZiBUGbft</p>
<p>Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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